A Fighting Chance
by Reichee
Summary: Peach is sick of being the damsel in distress, so she decides to join the Smash Brothers Tournament. But does she have what it takes? Not nearly as bad as the summary makes it sound.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello there. I've had this idea dancing around inside my head since Smash Bros. Melee came out (which was how long ago!) and so I wrote some chapters. And now I finally decided to post it. It's pretty much told from Peach's POV, so if you don't like her, I suggest you leave now. And a lot of the beginning chapters will be centered in the "Mario Realm," so you might be a little confused if you haven't played some of the games. I'll try to explain as much as I can when it comes up, though. Okay, happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Peach, Mario, Luigi, or any of the characters mentioned in this chapter. Darn...

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Chapter 1

"Take that, you fiend!" Peach screamed furiously as she delivered another crushing blow to Bowser's chest. All he could do was let out a painful moan as his fiery red eyes rolled back into his head. Peach sent one more crack against his face with the back of her gloved hand and his massive body was sent sprawling to the ground. Another excruciating groan escaped from Bowser's muzzle and he rolled himself onto his stomach, his face inches away from the end of the ledge.

Peach smiled a wide grin of triumph and giggled at Bowser's painful predicament. She knew very well that one final kick would sent him tumbling over the edge and into the lake of boiling hot magma. Just one little tap of her tiny foot and she would be rid of him forever.

"Peach," Bowser choked, tiny drops of blood spewing from his cracked lips, "Don't."

Peach continued to giggle, elated by the sight of her most hated enemy's unceasing agony. She began to swing her foot lightly at his lower abdomen, knowing that even though they were small, each tap brought with it a sting of unimaginable pain. All her years of waiting and preparing had all been leading up to this final moment, the one in which she would finally do away with the being who had caused her suffering beyond reason. She was overdue to pay back all he had done to her and her loved ones.

"Well, Bowser," Peach said slyly, a smile playing its way across her delicate lips. "It looks like it's finally time to give you what you deserve."

"No. Please," Bowser pleaded, trying to reach a shred of sympathy or compassion within Peach's usually loving body, but to no avail. He could see the reflection of lava burning in her eyes as the evil smile only further crept across her face and she slowly brought her foot back in preparation for the action she was about to execute in a matter of seconds.

"Goodbye, Bowser," Peach said, her voice carrying its familiar sweetness but embedded in pure hatred.

With one swift movement, she brought her foot forward with all of her strength until it impacted with Bowser's side. A final ear-shattering moan bellowed out of his lungs as he whirled over the edge of the granite ledge and plummeted down towards the lava below. Peach threw her head back and laughed as he tumbled further and further until the burning lava was so close to his scaly skin...

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"WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Peach's head snapped up so quickly from the table that it could have very well detached from her seemingly brittle neck. A very agitated expression was apparent on her face as she scanned the room for whoever had abruptly ended her blissful daydream.

"MARIO!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. "What in the world are you yelling about!"

Mario instantly stopped his dash across the room and held up two white envelopes, each stamped with and intricate symbol that Peach was unable to see because Mario was no less than twenty feet away. He slowly stepped forward, still keeping the envelopes high in the air.

"They're here," Mario said excitedly, waving the envelopes in Peach's face. She became annoyed and promptly brushed them away.

"What's here?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"The invitations to the annual Smash Brothers Tournament," he replied, about to burst with enthusiasm. He held them up again. "One's for me and the other's for Luigi."

Peach smiled sweetly. "Well congratulations. I'm glad you got an invitation."

"Everyone from last year did. I gotta go tell Luigi that they're here!" With that, he ran across the room and out the door, leaving Peach in silence.

"I wish I could fight for myself," she muttered. "But I guess I'll just have to settle for my daydreams." And with a short sigh, she departed to the library, where she could once again lose herself in a captivating realm of enchanting fantasy.

Unfortunately, Peach was unable to focus her attention to her book without it straying every five seconds to thoughts of the tournament. Even when she was watching the tournament last year, she had wished to be a part of the action. How she wanted to fight alongside the noble combatants from so many diverse worlds. And with every passing year, which with it would bring a new tournament, Peach knew that the urge would only grow stronger.

Even though this was the tournament's second year, it was already going to be twice as wonderful as the year before. There had been twelve contestants the previous year, and rumor had it that this year there would be up to twice as many. In fact, to spark a bit of interest in non-fans and to add a little something for this year, the word melee had been added to the name of the tournament. Super Smash Brothers Melee. The mere thought of how exhilarating it would surely be for the contestants was driving Peach insane.

To top it all off, the preparations for the tournament were going to be held in the Mushroom Kingdom. She would be forced to sit there and watch as each competitor went through the tedious, but none the less necessary, tests and interviews it took to become a part of the breathtaking brawls.

"Don't even bother thinking about it," Peach scolded herself. "It's not like you would even make it past the first test. No one takes you seriously."

As much as she hated to say it, no one did seem to take her the least bit seriously. Everyone saw her as the delicate little forbidden flower that mustn't be touched. There was no way that she could even be allowed to practice a little something in the Dojo, let alone participate in an all out fight fest. Heaven forbid that she ruined one of her pretty little dresses!

It wasn't that she really and truly wanted to be involved in raw, hand-to-hand combat that would no doubt be dangerous for her small body, but she did have strong beliefs that she had something to prove. She was sick and tired of being branded with the degrading label of damsel in distress, but it would be exceedingly difficult to liberate herself from that loathsome title. Being captured by Bowser on numerous occasions hadn't exactly helped her reputation. The Smash Bros. tournament might just be the break she needed. She might finally be able to earn a little respect from everyone and be known as someone who could fight for herself.

As she left the library, she smiled to herself as delightful images of herself as a strong, courageous fighter danced across her imagination.

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A/N: That's all for now. I do have some more chapters, but it'll be up to the reviewers to decide whether they get posted or not. This was written a while ago and I'm not nearly as in to the Mario fandom as I used to be, but I'd definitely be willing to write if you want me to. So tell me what ya think. You want more? No? Maybe? Let me know! REVIEW! 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: -blink blink- I actually got…reviews? Well, thank you very very much to the people who gave me my nice reviews and want me to continue. Anyway, just to warn you all in advance, this chapter isn't all that exciting or very long, so I hope to put up another chapter tomorrow too to make up for it.

Disclaimer: Don't own. Never will. Period.

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Chapter 2

The next day, Mario and Luigi had woken up extra early and set off for the Dojo, eager to practice their skills. They wanted to make sure that all their moves were absolutely flawless for the try-outs, which were in two weeks. Peach on the other hand, had invited Daisy over for the afternoon to chat over a cup of tea.

"Daisy, do you think I'm weak?" Peach asked suddenly, half wanting her true opinion and half hoping for some false confidence.

Daisy raised her eyebrow. "Why?" she asked slowly, completely oblivious to what Peach was leading up to.

"Just answer the question," Peach said, anticipation growing in her eyes.

"Uh, I don't think so," Daisy said, still puzzled. "Why? What made you ask me that?"

"I just thought that everyone saw me as a weak little child that couldn't do anything for herself," Peach replied, now looking at her tea as her cheeks gradually turned a rosy pink. She was beginning to regret even starting this conversation.

"Nobody thinks that," said Daisy confidently, although not exactly sure if she believed herself. "Why would you say that about yourself?"

"Because it's true. I've been captured so many times and I've never been able to save myself. I'm starting to think that all I do is stand around and look pretty." Peach was quickly becoming angry with herself with every reminder of why she was so pathetic. Her cheeks burned with the hot flames of her anger and she bit her lip to stifle her growing rage.

"Come on, don't say those things about yourself," Daisy said sympathetically, her voice full of concern for her friend. She knew that Peach always tended to focus too heavily on her negative attributes and wished that she would someday realize what a wonderful person she really was. "You're not weak. Why would you even compare yourself to Bowser? He's practically five times your size! Neither of us, or not even both of us together, could take him down. Besides, you don't need to beat down Bowser."

"Well, I need to do something," Peach said quietly. She decided that she had done enough bringing herself down and needed to get straight to the point. She slowly lifted her head and her intense blue eyes locked on to Daisy's. She wanted to make it known that she was completely sincere and every word she was about to speak was factual. "I was thinking of trying out for the Smash Bros. tournament."

Daisy leaned her head a little closer toward Peach and blinked a few times, attempting to decipher if she had heard Peach correctly. Her mouth began to open as if she were about to speak, but no words could be found within her mouth or in her mind.

Deeply hurt by her friend's inability to respond in any way, Peach brought her gaze back to her tea. She slowly stirred and pretended that she had not just taken such a crushing blow to her ego, but since they had been best friends for so long, Daisy was quick to find the pain in Peach's expression.

"So I guess you don't believe in me either," Peach said softly so the feelings in her voice were hardly audible.

"No, no, that's not it at all!" Daisy said remorsefully, able to recognize distress in Peach's voice, no matter what the volume or severity. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little surprised."

"Why?" She still kept her eyes fixated on her tea.

"I don't know. I guess I just can't really picture you fighting in a tournament." Daisy said, carefully choosing her words so as not to further offend her friend.

Peach began to slowly raise her eyes, but keeping her head still tipped slightly toward the floor. "But do you think I can do it?" She was trying to just get a tiny bit of consent, knowing that if Daisy had even the slightest bit of faith in her, she would have the confidence and strength she needed to unleash her full potential.

"Well, I'm not really sure. Like I said, out of all the years we've known each other, I've never really seen you as the fighting type," she said sheepishly as the thought of Peach as a powerful fighter came into her mind. "But if you really want to, go for it."

"Really?" Peach said excitedly.

"Yeah. I'm sure you'll do great!"

Peach smiled, truly happy that her best friend would support her, no matter what she did. And at that moment, nothing could bring her down. But also at that moment, she was completely unaware that there was still one more obstacle waiting for her just around the corner...

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A/N: Yeah, I know, not as good as the last one, right? But bear with me! It gets better, I swear! This chapter was just setting everything up for what's about to come next. But even if the chappy wasn't as good…you can still review! -looks hopeful- And if you got any questions, concerns, suggestions, comments, etc. I'd really like to know!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I'm really sick of these things, but just so I don't get sued…I don't own any of Nintendo's awesome characters. Okay? Okay.

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Chapter 3

The remainder of the day passed by fairly quickly, and soon it was time for Daisy to return home. After Daisy's carriage was completely out of sight, Peach quietly departed to her room, where she spent the next couple of hours testing out some fighting moves. It felt a little awkward at first, punching at nothing but air and almost falling over when trying to perform a decent kick. But it didn't take very long to adapt and she was soon pulling off maneuvers that were performed so gracefully it was as if she had been doing it for years. She was soon adding sound effects, yelling triumphantly as her limbs flew swiftly in all directions. With each thrust of her arm or kick of her foot, she was feeling more and more confident in herself. The kind of confidence she had always strived for, but could never achieve until this moment.

"I can see it now," Peach said excitedly, bringing her hands up and gliding them apart as if her movements would bring forth a dazzling marquee adorned with bright flashing lights. "Princess Peach Toadstool, Superstar!" She smiled to herself, briefly imagining the captivating thought of her name in lights. But not just any lights. Lights that stood for her accomplishments instead of her inborn fame.

A few more moves, and she was forced to relax. The constant punching and kicking she was not accustomed to doing had taken quite a toll on her delicate body, and she needed a little time to rest and rejuvenate her strength. She slowly limped over to her bed and collapsed, her heart fluttering madly and her chest violently heaving up and down as her lungs screamed for fresh air.

After her breathing had slowed and her heartbeat had attained a reasonable consistency, Peach sat up and wiped a gloved hand across her forehead. But she quickly pulled away when she felt the extreme dampness and looked down to find that the palm was completely soaked in her perspiration.

Peach frowned and immediately removed the glove from her hand. Her urge to fight may have been burning intensely for many years, but she still wasn't used to sweating so profusely. The thought of herself in those conditions were still foreign and repulsive.

Unfortunately, her forehead wasn't the only thing drenched in her sweat. As she became more aware of the sensations around her, she realized that much of her body was covered in a thin layer of the disgusting moisture. Her dress was sticking uncomfortably to her skin, along with her hair and other glove.

She began to rid herself of these burdens, first by removing the other glove and kicking off her shoes, which she had just realized were making her feet feel as if they had been placed upon burning hot coals. A quick check to make sure the door was securely locked, and she unzipped her dress. As she released her hands she allowed it to fall limply to the floor, now nothing but a disorganized mass of fabric.

When she approached her make-up table, where she placed her crown whenever it wasn't on her head, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. But the individual who stared back was not the person she remembered herself to be. Aside from looking more confident, this Peach's face was bright red, a clear indication of how hard she had actually been working. Peach frowned once again at the sight of the warm liquid glistening on every inch of her face, not to mention all over the rest of her body as well, which could now be seen since she was wearing nothing more than her modest undergarments.

"How could I possibly have gotten this sweaty and nasty?" Peach asked her reflection. "I wasn't even practicing for that long."

It was true that she hadn't been in her room air-punching and air-kicking for very long, but there were a few very crucial factors that she had so quickly overlooked. First of all, she was inside an enclosed space with the door locked and the windows shut, which provided poor circulation of cool air and excellent entrapment of heat. She had also been wearing a dress perfectly fitted to her form, complete with plenty of ruffles and fabric, making for a toasty outfit in such a warm environment. The gloves or shoes didn't help much either; andsuch long hair, no matter how elegant, was never a good method for keeping cool, especially when worn loose.

Still frowning, Peach shook her head to try and clear it at least a bit. She then turned and looked over her left shoulder and her smile returned. She was looking to her bathroom, where the promise of a cool shower awaited her.

"Ah." Peach let of a quiet, calming sigh after stepping out of the shower, dressed in her fuzzy pink bathrobe. She was feeling quite content after ridding herself from the uncomfortable situation she had been in only moments before. But her stressors had been washed away by the gentle, refreshing waters of her shower, and the whole ordeal was now back in the corner of her mind, ready to be forgotten.

As she sat at her make-up table, her comb slowly making its way through her damp locks, her eyes couldn't help but stray to the tiny clock in the corner of the room. It was about 7:45, which came as a great surprise. She hadn't thought that she had been in her room that long. She would have normally just dismissed the time and continued combing her hair, but she just couldn't help pondering if she had spent so much time practice fighting, or taking the shower.

She was finally able to release the thought from her mind because she knew she couldn't have figured out the answer no matter how long or hard she tried. Now, she was more intrigued with the whereabouts of Mario and Luigi. For the past hour or so, she had the feeling that she needed to test her confidence on a completely new level. And Mario and Luigi would surely be most helpful in achieving this goal. If only she knew where they were.

After her hair was completely dried and had once again attained its usual bounce and healthy shine, she slipped on a fresh clean dress and made her way downstairs. But she wasn't even halfway down the grand staircase when she began to hear a multitude of voices in a variety of volumes coming from the great hall. Peaked with curiosity as to what was causing such a commotion, she quietly crept down the rest of the stairs and peered into the boisterous chamber.

There had to have been at least fifty servants, all standing in a tightly packed circle. Every mushroom was obviously caught in the heat of the moment, with little arms flailing, legs jumping up and down, and voices screaming. There didn't appear to be any method to their madness until Peach poked her head a little farther into the room and found the source of the pandemonium.

Right in the middle of the mushroom circle was none other than the Mario brothers. The sight wouldn't have been so perplexing, except they seemed to be in the midst of a heated brawl. Each were throwing swift punches and powerful kicks while the other one jumped and swayed to dodge each attack. The two looked very evenly matched, each able to land only a sparse amount of hits on the other. Everyone was still completely absorbed in the match when Peach decided to fully step into the room.

The first to notice her presence was a servant that was facing in her direction. He immediately stopped his erratic jumping and stood still as a statue. His eyes went wide and without breaking his gaze with the unexpected guest, stuck out his elbow and jabbed the servant next to him. When that servant realized what was going on, he got the attention of the one next to him, setting off a chain reaction that spread across the room like wildfire. Suddenly, the entire room was filled with an eerie silence with all eyes on Peach.

It took Mario and Luigi a few seconds to break away from the trance of their fight and actually become aware of what was going on. They stared sheepishly up in her direction, knowing that they wouldn't be able to pin the blame on anyone else. It was clearly them, and only them, who had been fighting.

"Heya, Princess!" said Mario cheerfully, hoping to lighten the mood. "Good to see you!"

Peach didn't respond. She simply folded her arms and raised her eyebrows into an undecipherable expression that suddenly made everyone a bit edgy. In fact, the entire mass of servants had already fled the room, leaving only the princess and the embarrassed plumbers.

"We're really sorry, Princess," Luigi apologized, his cheeks becoming red with embarrassment. "But we got back from the Dojo and some of the mushrooms asked us to show them some of our moves and then it started getting really exciting and-"

"It's okay," Peach said finally, halting Luigi's rambling explanation. "I'm not angry. I just wanted to see what was going on down here."

"We were just showing off," said Mario in a much calmer tone than Luigi had been able to use. "We didn't break anything or anything like that."

"Okay," said Peach, obviously not giving very much thought to what either brother was saying until she made her point. "Actually, I was hoping to find you here."

"Really?" They said, both slightly confused as to why she would be looking for them for no apparent reason.

"Yeah. And as a matter of fact, it actually pertains to what you were doing."

"Fighting?" Luigi asked. She was leading them deeper and deeper into confusion and she couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Well, you know the big annual Smash Brothers tournament that's having try-outs in two weeks?"

Two slow and solemn, but confused nods.

"Well, I was thinking of trying out this year."

The eerie silence returned as Mario and Luigi stood there dumbfounded, their mouths gaping open like their jaws were broken. Once again, the imminent sign of disapproval was being waved in front of her face. But this time, she would let nothing deter her from reaching her goal.

"Oh come on!" She fumed, not realizing how angry she sounded. "What makes you think I can't fight just as good as anyone else?"

"But Peach," Mario managed to say in hopes that a response would suppress her sudden burst of anger. "Y-you can't be a fighter. Why would you even want to be?"

"And why not?" She was trying to keep her rage under control, but her cheeks were burning and she was afraid she might burst if she held it in any longer. "I want to fight just like you get to do."

"But... but…" Mario sputtered, trying to find the right words to say, for fear that uttering the wrong ones might get a result he would rather not deal with. "You're just not cut out to be a fighter. Not everyone is. You don't have to fight."

"I know you think I can't do it," said Peach, "But I can." Suddenly, she raised her arms and put herself into the assumed stance of a fighter. "I'll just have to prove it to you then."

Mario didn't move. "Come on, Peach," he said calmly, "I don't want to fight you."

"I don't care. I want to show you that I'm good for something."

"You don't have to prove anything," he was beginning to get a little nervous and a small bead of sweat ran down his cheek. "Come on, knock it off."

Peach scowled and without any indication, swung her foot like she had practiced straight at Mario's chest. He instantly lifted his hand and stopped her attack in midair.

Peach's mouth dropped open as she gaped at her small foot in the middle of Mario's palm. He released her foot, but the instant it contacted with the floor, Peach's shocked subsided and she attempted to deliver a hard slap to Mario's face. Once again, he seemed to know what move she would make before it was executed and her wrist ended up trapped in Mario's hand. This time, however, he didn't intend on being quite as gentle as before. He wrapped his fingers tightly around her delicate wrist and pulled her arm behind her back. A small cry escaped Peach's throat as an unexpected acute pain shot up through her momentarily seized limb. She fiercely fought for freedom, but it was no use. Mario was too strong.

"Now will you please stop?" he asked sincerely, fearing that one wrong move might break her arm.

Peach nodded, tears springing to her eyes. "Yes," she squeaked softly, half out of pain and half from disappointment in herself.

Mario promptly released her and she silently stood there, blinking back tears as she rubbed the wrist Mario had been squeezing.

"Peach, I'm really sorry," Mario said worriedly. He wished he had had other options to stop Peach from fighting him, but he didn't know what else he could have done. And now he was afraid that he hadn't been as gentle as he should have been with the delicate princess and had broken her wrist. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" He hadn't ever used force against a woman before, let alone a fragile princess like Peach. He had spent so many years protecting her and didn't know what he would do with himself if he had allowed any harm to come to her at his hands.

Peach shook her head, still trying to evaporate her tears before either of them noticed. "I'm sorry that I bothered you," she said in a quiet, emotionless tone.

There was a few seconds of silence before Mario responded. "Just promise me that you won't try to fight anymore."

"Okay," she agreed, her voice now sounding a little more hurt. "I shouldn't have been so foolish as to think I stood a chance against you anyway."

"Hey, come on," Mario said, placing his arm around her shoulder in an effort to console her. "You're just not cut out for this sort of thing. That's okay. Besides, you don't need to fight anyway."

Peach wanted to protest, but didn't see what the use of arguing would do, so she simply nodded instead. "I'm just going to go to my room and forget I ever wanted to fight."

She turned to leave, but when she was a few steps away, her persistence returned and anticipation burned in her eyes. When she was certain no one would hear, she mumbled under her breath, "If they think I'm going to give up just because I couldn't fight an expert, they were very, very wrong!"

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A/N: Well, that was much longer than the last chappie, and hopefully a lot more interesting too. Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Well, here I am with a brand new chappie! Yay!

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the Nintendo characters.

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Chapter 4

The next morning, as soon as the sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, shedding a dim glow of dawn's sunlight across the dew covered fields, Peach was skillfully sneaking her way out of the castle. She would have left later in the day, except for the fact that she didn't want to be seen. Because of this, daybreak, in which no one was around, was the most appropriate time. A chilly morning breeze blew in her direction, forcing her to hug her thin jacket even tighter around her body.

After she had crept off the castle grounds, her trip became almost effortless. The silent, desolate streets promised to keep her little secret so no one would ever know. It may have been true that the empty streets and lack of noise seemed unnatural and even a bit unnerving, but Peach smiled in spite of this, knowing that no one was aware that she had even left the castle. As far as they knew, she was sound asleep in the comfort of her fluffy bed, snugly wrapped in the soft covers.

A few more minutes and she finally reached the stone steps leading up to the Dojo. It was a small, wooden building that housed mats, punching bags, and any other materials used to develop fighting skills. The Master of the Dojo, an elderly mushroom that was much more adept then he let on, worked with his apprentices Chan, a buzzy beetle, and Lee, a duplighost, to teach citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom a wide variety of martial art techniques.

She creaked open the large wooden doors, revealing a dark and solemn room. She wanted to take a few more steps inside, but her fear that the door would suddenly shut behind her and imprison her inside the wooden Dojo compelled her to keep at least one foot out in daylight. A shiver ran down her spine, signifying that her instincts wanted her to leave, when out of the shadows stepped a small figure.

The figure happened to be none other than the Master of the Dojo, a white-bearded elderly mushroom dressed in a scarlet robe. Before taking notice of the girl standing before him, he pulled on a long rope, which slowly opened the drapes and instantly illuminated the entire room.

The rest of the Dojo was very simple. A couple of worn punching bags hung from the ceiling and foam mats were strewn in random corners. The place seemed old and musty but at the same time rustic with a classic touch. The place was becoming worn out from the training of a countless number of fighters. Thinking of everyone that had started from humble beginnings to transforming into superstar martial artists was so intriguing that a sensation of pure excitement arose in Peach's chest and she could hardly contain herself.

The Master finally became aware of Peach's presence, but was a bit shocked. He had never expected to see anyone like her in his Dojo.

"Princess Toadstool!" He gasped, bowing at once to show his respect. Chan and Lee were practicing in the corner, and were quick to notice the Master's actions, mimicking his bow.

"Hello, sensei," Peach replied in the sweetest tone she could muster without giving away her anticipation.

The Master returned to his standing position. "And what brings you to our Dojo on this fine morning?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could do me a favor."

The Master smiled. It was a kind, sincere smile that only further raised Peach's spirits.

"What did you have in mind? It would be a great honor to serve you in any way possible."

Peach was about to burst, but remembered to keep her composure. "It's about the Smash Brothers tournament. I wanted to enter, but I don't have much experience. I was wondering if-"

"Princess." The Master interrupted with such a smooth transition that Peach didn't even realize she had been in the middle of her sentence. "I cannot."

Peach was overwhelmed with surprise, but managed to stay calm. "Beg pardon?"

"I cannot. The Mario brothers informed me of your situation. I gave them my word that I would not permit you to fight, assuming that you sought guidance. I am truly sorry."

A dark shadow of disappointment covered her face and she was unable to speak. She could only nod mechanically and take a few steps toward the door.

_So they were able to figure out what I was planning,_ Peach thought. _I guess they know me a little __**too**__ well._

Peach gave a small curtsy before departing from the Dojo with the most somber expression she had worn all day.

"Well," she said quietly to the deserted town as she walked back to the castle, "I suppose I'll just have to go out of my way to achieve my goal." A small smile played its way back upon her lips. "And do something Mario and Luigi would never suspect. The Dojo doesn't have to be my only option."

And with a tiny giggle, she kept silent the rest of the way home, her crafty scheme playing continuously in her mind, where only she, and not the Mario brothers, had access to it.

A few short hours later, Peach had done the finishing touches and strapped the pink satin pillow to the driver's seat of the royal carriage. She was unaccustomed to doing such a task as to drive her own carriage, but she was intent on making her departure as secretive as possible. Telling even one mushroom would instantly set of a chain of unwanted events, resulting in the Mario brothers discovering her intentions. Therefore, the foreign job she was about to undertake had to be done entirely by herself.

Climbing carefully into the carriage, taking certain precautions so as not to damage her dress in any way, Peach sat and took the ropes in her hand that were ultimately the only object capable of making her fancy wooden box on wheels mobile. She slowly twisted the leather in her hands, realizing she was at a loss as to what her next action would be.

"Oh, what do I do next?" she asked herself as if another part of her had the answer she was looking for. "I've been in this carriage a million times before. Why can't I remember what I have to do?"

She was eager to take off, and her inability to remember what she must do next was making her quite irritable. If she didn't figure it out soon, her means of a secret escape were slim to none. She would promptly be put under constant surveillance until her dream would be crushed like so many previous others had been throughout her life.

A sudden rush of impatience flowed through her veins and she slapped the rope down with all the strength she could force out of it. The surprised horse bucked it's hooves high into the air, its silky white mane flowing majestically on the gentle breath of the wind and Peach let out a short squeal of alarm. But there was no time to react, for as the horse's hooves touched back upon the ground, it bounded forward and raced off the castle grounds with Peach clinging tightly to the reins.

After a few minutes of bolting across the lush countryside of the Mushroom Kingdom, the horse finally slowed to a reasonable pace that Peach was more than relieved to experience again. Now that the excitement had died down, she looked at her surroundings to create a bird's eye map in her mind of where she was and where she needed to go. A few more seconds, and she redirected the path of the horse slowly and cautiously, not wanting to spend the rest of her trip dashing uncontrollably into every direction except the one she needed to travel on.

The trip would be long, for her destination was far away. The sun had not been prominent in the sky for very long yet, and it would surely be approaching dusk when she arrived in the town she had set her sights on. The journey would no doubt be arduous as well. In the carriage she had put only a few meager possessions and some food for when she became hungry. She would be crossing terrain of all different varieties and in a multitude of conditions that she may not be quite ready for. But she was not in the least bit worried. Her determination would push her to the best of her ability, where nothing was truly impossible if she tried hard enough.

As the tiring day was nearing it's end and the sun was sinking slowly amidst the panoply of colors beneath the horizon, Peach was finally coming upon her destination. She almost missed the town, for it was surrounded by a mountain, and dusk had already spread it's darkening cloak over the world, preparing it for the serene nights in which everyone was drifting through the realms of subconscious slumber. It had also been a good couple of years since Peach had set foot on these grounds, and unfortunately, her memories of her previous journey here had become a bit fuzzy. But there was no mistaking the bright blue door with the homely wooden sign hanging loosely over it, now practically unreadable from never being replaced.

With a quick smile, Peach climbed out of the carriage and opened the door, leading the horse steadily with its reins. A slight look around the entrance way, now lit with torches because no natural light could penetrate these walls, and she pushed open the second door. The smile spread further across her face as she gazed upon the sleeping town.

"Ah, Monstro Town," Peach sighed quietly, "I never thought I'd see you again."

Every footstep she took deeper and deeper into the almost forgotten town brought with it a massive amount of faded memories. They flooded into Peach's mind as quickly and as smoothly as the cascading waters of a beautiful stream, and she couldn't help but smile sweetly at her wonderful sudden reminiscence.

"Well, Snowflake, I guess we'll have to find a place to sleep for the night," Peach said softly as she gently stroked the horse's mane. She slowly observed her surroundings, and her gaze instantly fell upon one particular door.

"Come on, Snowflake," Peach cooed soothingly as she led the horse to the intended door, "I think I know a place we can stay."

The door opened, just as Peach knew it would. Inside the small room, directly in the middle of it, there was a small, ragged bed. The green and white checkered quilt was faded from age and had a few noticeable holes in various places. The only other object the room contained was a small rusty lamp that creaked eerily in the night's silence as an unnoticeable wind blew it slightly back and forth. The small chamber was simply unsettling, so it was no wonder why it was always unoccupied. And to top it all off, it was haunted by three playful spirits that enjoyed conversing with the bed's occupant, but only in their dreams. None the less, Peach counted the room's vacancy as a good omen, and knew that this was the only place she could sleep because her carriage wasn't sufficient in keeping her warm on such a chilly night; unless she wanted to wake as a human popsicle. Besides, she knew from experience that the three ghosts, or the Three Musty Fears as they liked to call themselves, were plenty friendly.

"Goodnight, Snowflake," Peach breathed as she slipped under the covers and fell easily into a blissful sleep.

* * *

A/N: Alright. Explanations are here for those who may have been confused.

First off, I'm going to be referencing a lot of places and people that appeared in Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario. One of these places is the Dojo located in Toad Town. It's a little place where the people can practice martial arts…though I don't think I really had to explain that...

Secondly, Peach runs away to a place called "Monstro Town." This is a place from Super Mario RPG that is quite far away from the Mushroom Kingdom. It is a place where monsters from all over the world have come to basically live in peace. So why is Peach here? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out.

And Peach doesn't have a horse named Snowflake, I made her up. Because Peach isn't going to walk all those miles to Monstro Town. Haha

Sorry if there's still something that I didn't explain, but you can always drop a question in your review and I'll do my best to answer!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hmm…it took a lot longer to update this chapter than I thought it would. Sorry, sorry, but I was sidetracked over and over. But I had to make sure that I would post it today, because tomorrow I go back to school. Blech!

Many thanks to all those who reviewed! And some of you were quite perceptive of Peach's motives. Good for you, 'cause it's good to hear from some Super Mario RPG fans, since it's my favorite Mario game ever.

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Simple as that.

* * *

Chapter 5

"Hey, Weege," Mario called, poking his head into his brother's bedroom, where he was attempting to sleep. He sat up groggily with his eyes half closed and turned toward the sound of Mario's voice.

"Wha huh?" Luigi replied sleepily.

"I was wondering if you knew where Peach was. I stopped by the castle a little while ago and she wasn't there."

Luigi waited a moment before answering. He wanted to allow his eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight of his room and for his brain to decipher what Mario had said. Mario rolled his eyes and began to leave because the only reply he was getting was in the form of a blank stare when Luigi responded.

"Uh, I don know. I didn see er since da other day," he answered slowly, trying not to trip over his words so they came out only partly incoherent.

Mario shook his head and was about to make some sort of smart remark when there was a sudden rapping on the door to their house.

"All git it," Luigi said. He attempted to climb out of bed but one of his legs became tangled in his bed sheet and he tumbled face first onto the floor.

"Owwwww," Luigi groaned as Mario stood in the doorway, laughing.

"Wow, bro," he chuckled, "how graceful can you be?"

"Shut up," Luigi muttered with a slight grin and untangled himself from the bed sheet.

When the two plumbers reached the door, they were surprised to find Toad standing there with wide eyes and panting as if he had run around the castle a few times before coming. Before either brother had a chance to say even one word, Toad rushed in and began talking a mile a minute.

"The Princess is gone and I don't know where she is. I came in her bedroom to wake her up in the morning because she didn't come downstairs for breakfast and I was starting to get worried and when I got in she wasn't there and I thought she got captured by Bowser-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Mario said, placing his hands on Toad's shoulders to stop him, for he had been erratically running back and forth across the living room while wringing his tiny hands together so furiously it seemed as if they were being rubbed raw. And put together with his speedy explanation, his rambling had become nothing but a senseless jumble of words. "Hold on a second. Did you say Bowser has Peach?"

Toad was too choked up to utter even a single word since his winded explanation, so he just somberly shook his head. He opened his vest, revealing a small envelope carefully tucked into the lining. He removed it and handed it to Mario.

"I found this on her bed," he managed to say. "It must be from her. But it's addressed to you two, so I didn't open it."

Mario carefully examined the little pink envelope with his and Luigi's name elegantly inscripted on the front. He turned it over a few times. There was nothing more Mario could conclude about the envelope, except that it was sealed with the intricate gold mushroom symbol, the official seal of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario recognized this right away as the stickers Peach kept tucked away in the top drawer of her mahogany table in the study.

"This is from Peach all right," Mario said, "but why would she..." He trailed off, so deeply puzzled that he couldn't even finish his own sentence.

"Just open it," Luigi said impatiently. "I wanna see what it says."

Mario carefully broke the seal and slid the delicate white paper from the envelope and unfolded it. It was definitely Peach's usual stationary, with the gold lining and the same mushroom symbol printed at the top of the page. Mario set the note down on the table so everyone could read its contents.

Dear Mario and Luigi,

I'm deeply sorry for the unpleasantness of the other day.

I've decided to take a break from everything to clear my head and

relax. Do not be surprised if you find Snowflake and my royal

carriage missing. I have taken both along with me. I am truly sorry

if my sudden departure has worried or upset you in any way. But

I knew that I'm not usually allowed to make such decisions, so I am

forced to make them myself without anyone's consent. I'm not

exactly certain when I will return. It should be no more than a few

days. If you are wondering about my location, I'm afraid I cannot

reveal it to you. I know well enough that someone would already

have gotten me if I had made such a mistake as that. And do not

bother asking anyone if they know of my whereabouts, for I have

told no one. Then again, you two and Toad are the only one's I

tell practically everything to. Well, I must be going. See you in

a few days.

Love,

Peach

After they had all read the letter once, Mario took it off the table and went over it very carefully, looking to see if Peach had unconsciously dropped any hints to where she might be. But deep down, Mario knew if he found any sort of clue, it would be very miniscule. Peach was quite clever, and Mario wouldn't doubt that she had gone over her letter on the previous night to make certain that the region she was currently in stayed secret to everyone but herself.

"Where could she be?" Toad squeaked. "She didn't even say where she went." He was becoming increasingly upset with every passing second and small crystal tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. Luigi took quick notice of this while Mario continued to study the letter and put his arm around the mushroom.

"Don't worry, buddy," he said in an attempt to calm Toad down. Unfortunately, it was doing no good. More tears formed in Toad's eyes and spilled over, creating tiny little rivers of sadness across his pale cheeks.

"B-but what if something happens to her while she's away," he cried. "We don't even know where she is. She could be hurt right now. Sh-sh-she-"

"Weege, why don't you let Toad rest in one of our rooms," Mario suggested, still keeping his unblinking eyes glued to Peach's letter.

Luigi decided to take Toad into Mario's room since his room was currently littered with crumpled blankets and sagging pillows that needed to be placed back in their rightful spots upon his bed. When he had tucked Toad under Mario's red cotton blankets and given him a cold washcloth for his head, Luigi returned to the living room. Mario was now sitting in his recliner with the letter folded on his lap.

"I didn't find much," Mario said as soon as Luigi was far enough into the room so that his voice needn't be much higher than a loud whisper, "but I think I know one thing."

"What do you mean?" Luigi asked curiously. "Do you know where Peach is?"

"Not really," Mario replied. He sighed and handed the letter to Luigi. "All I know is that she's most likely far away."

"What!" Luigi exclaimed.

"SHHHHH!" Mario hissed. "Keep your voice down. I asked you to take Toad into the other room so nothing could worry the little guy anymore. You're just gonna get him all worked up again."

"Sorry," Luigi said quietly. "But how do you know she's far away?"

"She mentioned in the letter that she took the royal carriage and her horse. She wouldn't need either if she was just taking a short trip to Goomba Village or something like that," Mario replied. He then closed his eyes and made the expression Luigi knew as the I'm-completely-confident face, meaning that the next words that came out of his mouth were the most educated words he would say for the duration of the conversation. "Actually, I'm not even sure if she's still in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore."

"How would you even know that?" Luigi asked. He was quite puzzled and was beginning to get agitated at the sheer fact that Mario seemed to know everything about the situation while he knew absolutely nothing.

"Well, think about it. Would you take a horse and a huge carriage out for a joyride for a few days and go no farther than the boundaries of the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"No, I guess not," Luigi said, "But where could she be? And what could she possibly be doing that she would be gone for no less than a week and not even tell us where she was going?"

"I don't know," Mario said, frowning at his inability to find some sort of explanation. They had known Peach for years, and now no matter how hard he tried, he was no less than utterly confused about what she had just done. He couldn't answer any of his or his brother's questions and Toad was right, if some terrible accident happened to befall her, they would have no idea anything was even going on. As much as Peach wanted the opposite to be said of her, she was extremely frail and delicate. There were too many obstacles out in the vast world that if she came up against them, she would surely fail. And Mario and Luigi would still be sitting unknowingly in their house, searching for an answer that was equivalent to searching for a needle in a haystack.

"Do we go and look for her?" Luigi asked suddenly. Like Mario, he cared deeply for the princess and her well being. Any occurrence that would cause her any harm was like driving a knife straight through his beating heart.

"I want to," Mario said, and Luigi could easily see the sincerity in Mario's eyes and hear it in his voice, "but I wouldn't know where to look. I think we should just pray for her safety and wait for her to come back home. In the meantime, we need to keep Toad and everyone else in the Mushroom Kingdom calm. If everyone starts going crazy over Peach's sudden disappearance, the whole kingdom could fall apart."

* * *

A/N: So that's all for now. Sorry if Peach's letter was hard to read, it was the best I could do. I hope that all of you who are reading my fic are enjoying it so far, but unfortunately, updates in the future won't be nearly as frequent as they've been. School can be pretty brutal, plus I'm doing some tutoring work three days a week. And all things pile up, equaling really slow updates. But please review, because even if I can't work on it as much, I'll post as quickly as I can if I get enough encouragement.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Heh…heh…I know that's it's been horribly long since my last update, but it's finally here! Not that there's really a ton of people reading this fic anyway, but whatever. So here it is, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

Chapter 6

Peach abruptly woke with a start to an awful noise that she perceived to be the sinister screech of a magikoopa in agonizing pain. When she had a few seconds to allow herself to adjust to her surroundings and for her mind to register where exactly she was, she realized the noise had been nothing more than an irritated neighing from her horse. It had been cooped up in the small room the entire night alongside Peach, and for the past few hours, it had been impatiently pawing its polished foot against the wooden door.

Peach yawned and pushed away a few tangled wisps of hair from in front of her face. She then focused her attention on Snowflake, who continued to whinny its high-pitched neigh over and over.

"What's the matter Snowie?" Peach cooed with the foolish smile she always wore when she was only half-awake. Snowflake paid no attention to her attempted sympathy and pawed restlessly at the door. She may have only been a horse, but even Snowflake knew that Peach was perfectly aware of the matter at hand.

"Alright, Snowflake," Peach said sleepily, the goofy grin still plastered on her face as she pulled the quilt off her body and began to sluggishly slide herself off the bed, "I'm coming."

She slowly inched her way towards the door, allowing her senses to gradually awaken to the new day. Snowflake's, however, had been awakened for quite some time now, and she let out an agitated breigh at Peach, indicating that precious time was being wasted and the cool fresh air of the outside world was awaiting their entrance.

As Peach creaked open the door, a short blast of the outside air flew into her face and she was instantly fully conscious. Snowflake quickly took off into the grassy clearing while Peach stood in the doorway, inhaling the refreshing scent of daybreak as a gentle breeze caressed her skin.

Peach looked around, admiring the picturesque scenery spread about her. The sun shined it's rays upon everything in reach, drenching the town in it's warm healthy glow. Tiny beads of dew lingered on the blades of luscious grass and lovely flowers. They glinted so stunningly in the sun's radiance that they resembled tiny fragments of exquisite crystal. The town appeared to still be asleep, for there was no one outside yet. The only sounds besides Snowflake's content neighing were the calming melodies of unseen birds as they sung their praises to welcome the new day. Peach was completely absorbed in the breathtaking scene when something brushed against her leg.

Startled, Peach let out a short yelp and looked down to see that it had been her nightgown. The breeze had blown the fabric against her shin so discreetly, she had perceived it to have been some sort of animal. And now that she was snapped out of her hypnotic trance from staring at the town, she realized that she was wearing nothing _but_ her nightgown.

Peach let out a short gasp of surprise as her cheeks flushed and became rosy with embarrassment. She quickly looked around to make certain no one was in sight, and she dashed back into the security of the room. She would have been mortified if someone had caught a glimpse of her in such an outfit. A princess was not meant to be seen publicly in this kind of garb.

When she emerged, she was properly dressed in her traditional gown. Snowflake had been munching on some grass and had not noticed Peach's absence in the past few minutes. The town was still completely deserted.

A quick sigh of relief and Peach guided Snowflake to the carriage, where she would be tied until Peach returned from her errand. She would take no chance that her free-spirited horse might cause a ruckus as soon as her master was out of sight.

"Don't worry, Snow, I'll be right back," Peach promised. She gave Snowflake a quick kiss on the nose before departing to make the climb up the large stone steps in the middle of town.

The wooden door of the Monstro Town dojo loomed in front of her, calling to be opened. All she needed to do was step inside and the fate of her role in the Smash Brothers Melee tournament would be decided in a matter of minutes.

"It's now or never," she breathed nervously and brought her hand to the small bronze doorknob.

She stepped inside and faced the beautifully organized dojo that seemed so much less ancient than the one of the Mushroom Kingdom. The tiles on the floors were neatly polished and when Peach briefly glanced down, she saw her reflection staring back at her. There was not much equipment, but whatever was there looked completely new. There were also some bonsai trees in each corner of the room, making the atmosphere of the dojo all the more comforting. The only individual inside of the dojo that Peach was aware of was a koopa.

"Hello," Peach said cheerfully.

The koopa's eyes widened and he quickly bowed. "Good morning, Princess Toadstool. It is an honor to be in your presence."

Peach slightly blushed. "Oh, thank you," she replied with a small giggle. But her giddy feeling quickly subsided and a serious expression was once again present on her face. "I was wondering if Master Jinx happened to be in at the moment."

"Yes. I will inform him right away of your arrival."

The koopa turned and walked to a small bonsai tree, where a tiny creature no bigger than a baby goomba was meditating. He wore a crimson robe and a shock of green hair protruded from his otherwise bald head. His eyes had been closed for his meditation process, but instantly snapped open as the koopa approached.

"Master Jinx-" the koopa started, until his words were abruptly brought to a halt with a raise from Jinx's tiny hand.

"I am well aware of the princess' presence and I will see to her at once," he replied calmly. Without any hesitation, he dismounted from the bonsai tree in a graceful flip and made his way to where Peach was standing.

"It is a pleasure to once again look upon your radiant face, Princess Toadstool." he said with a bow. Although Jinx was no more than six inches tall, his voice was clearly audible to Peach, who was towering above him by over four and a half feet.

"And it is a pleasure to once again see you, Master Jinx," Peach replied sweetly, returning Jinx's bow with a curtsy.

"What brings such a resplendent woman as yourself to our modest dojo," Jinx asked, still keeping his head in a respectful bow.

"I was wondering if you can do me a favor," Peach said. Her heart was beating so rapidly she feared it would soon leap out of her chest.

"Of course, dear princess. In what way may I be of service to you?"

"I need you to teach me how to fight," Peach said as nervousness gripped her heart. She didn't know what she would do if she was rejected. Again.

A smile appeared on the tiny creature's face. "Princess, I do not believe you require my guidance. You appeared to be a perfectly adequate fighter when I last had the privilege to challenge you."

"Yes, but I wasn't fighting alone," Peach said, her hopes dropping farther with every passing second. Her dreams seemed less and less promising with Jinx's words and she was fearful that her rejection could be coming the next time he opened his mouth. "When I fought you, I was with my friends. You took on all of us at the same time. It was Mario who was able to beat you alone."

"My apologies, Princess. It has been so long since that time and my memory of that day has faded. May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course."

"What is the purpose of your desire to learn the ways of my dojo?"

"I want to compete in the Smash Brothers tournament. No one believes in me because of who I am. I'm sure you can relate to that, Master Jinx, and you are my last hope. Please help me."

Jinx raised his head and gave Peach a reassuring smile. "Yes, Princess, too few individuals are able to look past outward appearances. I appear weak, and I have proved to best even the most adept fighters. I would be honored to have you as my pupil."

Peach beamed and was about to burst with happiness. Finally, she would learn how to fight and be able to qualify for the tournament. She could barely contain her excitement.

"Thank you, Master Jinx!" she exclaimed. "I won't let you down."

"I know your spirit is quite strong," Jinx replied. "I am certain you shall become a wonderful fighter."

* * *

A/N: Well, there you have it, Peach is finally gonna be taught to fight! Hoorah!

For anyone who's never played Super Mario RPG, there's a little Dojo in Monstro Town (and if you don't know what Monstro Town is, I have some notes on it in one of the previous chapters) where a little dude named Jinx is the master. I estimate that he's about six inches to a foot tall. Anyway, Peach and Jinx both make some references to the game where Mario and whoever else is in your party face off against Jinx to try and beat him. Eventually you just face him with Mario alone and they rename the Dojo after Mario (I think that's what happens). Point is, Peach fought Jinx along with Mario, Bowser, Geno, and Mallow, but not by herself.

Any other questions? Comments? I'm really trying to manage my time, but school is pure evil and I also tutor and other things, so I don't have a ton of free time. But I promise to work as hard as I can as long as I'm still receiving reviews. So review!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I didn't plan on updating so soon, but I wanted to because it's my birthday! Yay! So anyway, I hope you enjoy the next chappie of _A Fighting Chance_. There's not a lot of action here, but it sets up for a lot of good stuff. So here it is!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Chapter 7

Over the next couple of days, Peach spent many restless hours training at the dojo. The remaining time was solely for the purpose of eating a quick meal or sleeping for the absolute minimal amount and still being able to attain a rejuvenated state by the sun's breaking over the horizon. Jinx had frequently offered her time to rest and cool down at times when hot beads of sweat were dripping from her burning cheeks and her breathing had become a strained wheezing.

"But sensei, I have to continue training if I hope to be in peak physical condition for the tournament try-outs," she would say with a smile before returning to pummeling a punching bag or whatever other activity she had been absorbed with.

"Very well," Jinx would reply, knowing that not even his wise words could dampen her unshakeable determination.

Although Jinx would never be able to convince her, Peach did not need to completely rebuild her skills from the ground up. She simply needed to hone her techniques and possibly build up a bit of extra strength. But then again, Jinx had repeatedly preached that size, as well as brute strength, meant absolutely nothing unless you knew how to use it. And the goal of his teachings for the fair princess were to do just that.

On her final day in Monstro Town, Peach didn't think twice about taking the opportunity to practice a few last moves in the dojo. She knew that parting from such a friendly town with such a welcoming atmosphere would prove to be more difficult than any of her training sessions. But still, her true life lied in the Mushroom Kingdom and not in her secret training spot. And if she wished to have a chance to participate in the tournament, she needed to leave as soon as possible.

"Thank you, sensei," Peach said gratefully with a bow, a gesture that was much more orthodox for showing respects in a dojo rather than her usual graceful curtsy. "I will never forget how you have helped me."

"It was no trouble at all," Jinx said and bowed as well to show his respects to the girl standing before him. "If you should ever require assistance in fighting some time in the future, I would be honored if you should decide to return to my dojo."

Peach smiled sweetly and restrained the urge to ruffle Jinx's hair with her thin fingers, almost an instinct because it would have been quite like the way she often rubbed her hand across Toad's spotted mushroom cap.

"Thank you, sensei," Peach said again, keeping her bright smile. "I promise that I shall return if I should ever need your guidance."

There was an instant of silence, and then on the face of the tiny fighter who seldom showed even the tiniest of smiles in place of the usual pensive expressions, there appeared a wide grin. The other pupils in the dojo who saw this exchanged shocked looks at each other, their faces asking each of the others if their sensei had suddenly been replaced by a twin or some other creature that resembled Jinx to the very smallest detail. But their queries and awkward gawking were soon halted when Jinx whirled around on his mysterious senses and the grin quickly faded.

"I trust that you will all return to your training at once," Jinx said tonelessly. The students could do nothing but resume the tasks they had been doing a moment ago.

Peach said one last goodbye and turned to leave the dojo. A small tear escaped against her will as she made her way down the stone steps to her carriage. She brushed it away, but reminded herself that even though she was now a fighter, she was still allowed to cry.

"Princess!" Toad exclaimed and ran to Peach the second she had opened the door. He had been sitting as still as a statue for the past three days at the top of the staircase in the main hallway, awaiting Peach's return. Peach instinctively dropped to her knees to allow Toad to wrap his tiny arms as far as he could around her waist.

"It's good to see you, Toad," Peach said as she fell into his embrace and hugged him back, loving the familiar feel of his cheek against hers.

"Where did you go?" Toad asked breathlessly, never wanting to let go of her as a few small tears slid down his cheeks. "I was so worried."

"I know, Toady," Peach said, using her pet name for him like she always did when she was about to apologize. "I really am sorry. But I had to go."

"But why?" Toad asked into her soft hair. "I just wanted to know where you were."

"I know."

Toad hugged her tighter and Peach showed no indication of ripping herself away from his weakening grip. "I wanted to tell you. But if I did, then you would have told and then I would have been brought back before I wanted to."

"I wouldn't have told." He was only a few years younger than Peach but his compassion would always make him seem so like a child. Peach had always thought this was rather cute.

Peach quietly laughed. "Yes you would have," she said with a smile, although Toad couldn't see it with his face buried in her shoulder. "I know you would have told Mario and Luigi and they would have gone and gotten me without any hesitation."

Toad didn't answer.

"But that's okay, because I'm glad you care about me that much."

Finally, Toad's arms released their grip on Peach and fell to his sides as he slowly took a step back. Peach continued to kneel on the floor so she could look Toad straight in his dark beady eyes.

"But where did you go?" he asked again, wiping the last few tears away from his cheeks.

Peach paused for a minute to contemplate. Should she reveal her location to Toad? If she didn't tell the Mario brothers where she was for the last few days, Toad surely would. And what if she needed to return to the dojo? Would she be able to go and not be followed? These questions along with many others flashed through her mind, making her decision harder and harder. But when Toad's face began to scrunch up and he looked at her with his adorable brown eyes, she knew she could not deceive him anymore.

"I was in Monstro Town," she replied.

Toad raised his eyebrow and gave her a very confused look. "Monstro Town?" he asked in surprise. He had only heard her mention that place once before awhile ago, when she and the Marios had been telling him of their adventure to retrieve the seven legendary stars of the Star Road. She had never talked about it again. "Why would you go there?"

"It's a long story," she replied simply. "I'll explain it to you when I explain it to Mario and Luigi."

Peach's reunion with the Mario brothers had also been filled with plenty of hugs, but was not quite as emotional as the one with Toad. When the brothers asked the inevitable question of where she had been all this time, she began her long explanation of how badly she wanted to fight in the tournament, how no one believed in her, how because of them, she was not allowed to practice at the Mushroom Kingdom's dojo, and finally, how she had to travel all the way to Monstro Town to seek guidance from Jinx. When she was finished, she was completely out of breath and everyone else was speechless.

After a moment of silence, Mario was the first to speak.

"So you really want to be in the tournament that badly?"

"Uh-huh. And I would greatly appreciate it if you would support me in my decision this time."

At first there was silence as the two brothers exchanged almost expressionless glances. Luigi realized that his brother wasn't going to give an answer, so he decided he might as well give his input.

"Well, she has worked really hard," he said hopefully, giving Peach a quick smile, which she gratefully returned. The only one left to convince now was Mario.

Mario looked at Peach for a brief moment before he restlessly jammed his hands into the pockets of his overalls and shifted his gaze out towards the window. "I don't know," he said softly.

Peach stood motionless and Luigi slightly twitched, anticipating another outburst from the determined princess. But instead, Peach quietly sighed and looked down at the floor.

The expression she had seen on Mario's face right before he turned away was that of concern, she was sure of it. He just didn't want her to be injured. But how could she possibly blame him? Since that fateful day he and Luigi happened to tumble into the Mushroom Kingdom, they had been working to the best of their abilities to make certain that she would never be hurt. And now she was practically throwing herself in harms way. Just about anything could happen to her as soon as she stepped foot into the arena. Had she allowed Mario to spend so many years protecting her when she was just going to march into a fighting tournament and possibly get smashed to a bloody pulp?

Her last thought caused her to slightly shudder and she realized that she had never fully analyzed every outcome of her ambition. Previously, the only visions that had passed through her mind were the cheers of a crowd as she pummeled every opponent and receiving the kinds of adoration and respect that she truly wanted. But now, she began to realize that some of the consequences of her entering the tournament could prove to be truly hazardous. Her thoughts instantly became invaded with nightmares of an adversary mercilessly beating her until she was nothing more than a heap of flesh and fabric lying in a pool of her own crimson blood, her body lying lifeless in a hospital bed with only the shrill and steady beeping of her heart monitor to reassure everyone that she was still alive, or worse...

Peach was now slightly trembling at her horrific thoughts, but no one seemed to notice. But she couldn't give up now, she had come way too far. And she had known all along about the inevitable dangers that came with entering the tournament, she had just never pondered them very carefully. If nothing else, her determination would prevent her from surrendering.

After taking a deep breath, Peach had once again regained her composure and she slowly walked up to Mario. Without a second thought, she slowly slid her hand around his hand, gently wrapping her slender fingers around his muscular ones.

"Mario," she said quietly and he brought his eyes up to meet hers. The way she looked at him, it was as if Toad and Luigi were no longer standing in the room. As far as she was concerned, for this moment, neither of them even existed.

"Yes, Peach?"

"I..I know you're worried about me," she began, her voice a bit louder, but never losing its gentleness. "And I'm grateful for your concern. But this is something that I need to do. I know that you want to protect me, but eventually the time will come when I'm in trouble and you won't be there. And how am I supposed to defend myself if I don't know how?"

"But, Peach, I didn't say you couldn't-"

"I know," she interrupted quickly. "But that's not the only reason. All my life, I've been admired and respected not because of anything I've done, but because I was the princess. You and Luigi have earned all the reverence and recognition you have. The admiration eveyone has for me almost seems stolen. I don't deserve it."

"But, Peach-"

"Let me finish. All I want is to show that I'm worth something. I feel that's it's my duty to prove to my people that their ruler isn't a weak and defenseless child. I'm certain that the Smash Brothers tournament will do that for me. But I can't do my best if you don't believe in me. Please?"

The room was completely silent for a few moments as Mario carefully contemplated Peach's sincere and heartfelt words. Finally, the atmosphere in the room seemed to brighten and a supportive smile slowly made it's way across Mario's face.

"Alright, Peach. If it means that much to you, I wish you the best of luck."

* * *

A/N: Peach finally has the support of the Mario brothers! Hurrah! Next stop is the try-outs. Will she make it? Find out next time!

If there's any questions or comments, I'd love to hear 'em! So go on! REVIEW!


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